Presently, in order to stop bleeding wounds, for example when an artery is bleeding, pressure is typically applied externally by manual exertion of pressure for a period of time sufficient to control or stop the bleeding. Unless the patient is able to provide the pressure, this method for controlling bleeding can be time consuming and somewhat cumbersome for the clinician administering the procedure as well as discomforting for the patient due to inadvertent changes in the pressure applied manually. As such, this procedure also can be costly due to the requirement for a person to exert the pressure.
It is therefore desirable to provide a wound dressing to apply a controlled pressure to a patient. Such a pressure wound dressing lessens the discomfort to the patient, avoids the requirement for personal administration of pressure, and can reduce the cost of providing health care. Such a device would be expedient and convenient to apply, and would minimize patient discomfort.